The most common auroral color, a pale yellowish-green, is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the earth. Rare, all-red auroras are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. Nitrogen produces blue or purplish-red aurora.
Can the Northern Lights be red?
Red Northern Lights
occur at even higher altitudes
, while blue and violet occur mostly below 120 km. When the sun is “stormy,” red colors occur at altitudes of 90 to 100 km. Entirely red Northern Lights may sometimes be seen, particularly at low latitudes.
Where can you see red Northern Lights?
Also, the rings around the poles expand and widen, so the northern lights can be seen at lower, more temperate latitudes. Very occasionally aurorae may even be seen in
central Europe
or the mid United States. On these occasions, the aurora will likely be seen red in these lower latitude locations.
What is the spiritual meaning of the Northern Lights?
The belief is that
the lights were viewed as a celestial battle between good and evil dragons who breathed fire across the firmament
. In Japanese culture, the belief is that a child conceived underneath the Northern Lights will be blessed with good looks, intellect and good fortune.
What do the northern lights mean?
The lights are
the result of solar particles colliding with gases in Earth’s atmosphere
. Early Eskimos and Indians believed different legends about the Northern Lights, such as that they were the souls of animals dancing in the sky or the souls of fallen enemies trying to rise again.
Can the Northern Lights be pink?
The northern lights can be spectacular! … Pink and dark red:
Occasionally, the lower edge of an aurora will have a pink or dark red fringe
, which is produced by nitrogen molecules at altitudes of around 100 km .
What colours are Northern Lights?
Most Northern Lights are
green in colour
but sometimes you’ll see a hint of pink, and strong displays might also have red, violet and white colours, often seen by aurora chasers on Northern Lights trips. The reason for all these colours lies in the composition of our earth’s atmosphere.
Do the Northern Lights happen every night?
There is no official season since
the Northern Lights are almost always present, day and night
. Caused by charged particles from the sun hitting atoms in Earth’s atmosphere and releasing photons, it’s a process that happens constantly.
What month is best to see the Northern Lights?
April to August
To see the Northern Lights you need dark skies and from early-April until late-August, the Aurora may be blazing across the Arctic firmament but it is visible only to scientific equipment, as the skies are just too light for the human eye to see the show.
Does aurora mean Rose?
Aurora was the
ancient Roman goddess of the dawn
. Aurora Borealis is a name for the Northern Lights. Nicknames for Aurora include Arie, Rory, and Aura. The most famous fictional Aurora is Princess Aurora from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty also known as Briar Rose.
What does the Bible say about the Northern Lights?
The northern lights is also mentioned in the Bible, in the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament. In the 2,600 years old description it says:
” I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north–an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light.”
Why are the Northern Lights bad?
The Northern Lights occur so high up in the atmosphere that they don’t pose any threat to people watching them from the ground. The aurora itself is
not harmful to humans
but the electrically charged particles produced could have some potentially negative effects to infrastructure and technology.
Why shouldn’t you whistle at the Northern Lights?
Thought to be the souls of the dead, the Sámi believed you shouldn’t talk about the Northern Lights. It was also
dangerous to tease them
by waving, whistling or singing under them, as this would alert the lights to your presence. If you caught their attention, the lights could reach down and carry you up into the sky.
What happens if you touch aurora borealis?
The aurora is emitted between 90 and 150 km in altitude (i.e. mostly above the ‘official’ boundary of space, 100 km), so ungloving your hand inside an
aurora would likely be fatal
(unless a fellow astronaut immediately reattaches your glove and repressurizes your suit).
Why do Northern Lights happen?
When the solar wind gets past the magnetic field and travels towards the Earth, it runs into the atmosphere
. … As the protons and electrons from the solar wind hit the particles in the Earth’s atmosphere, they release energy – and this is what causes the northern lights.
Why do Northern Lights appear?
Bottom line: When charged particles from the sun strike atoms in Earth’s atmosphere, they cause electrons in the atoms to move to a higher-energy state.
When the electrons drop back to a lower energy state, they release a photon: light
. This process creates the beautiful aurora, or northern lights.
